The April 2026 edition of Portland Food Map’s restaurant real estate roundup, sponsored by The Boulos Company, lays out a fresh set of opportunities for restaurateurs and food entrepreneurs hunting for space in Portland and the surrounding towns. The monthly compilation highlights several large, centrally located properties as well as smaller turnkey units and neighborhood spots — with lease rates and sale prices that illustrate a market offering both premium Old Port addresses and budget-friendly options farther afield.
One of the most notable listings this month is 28 Monument Square: the owner is seeking a tenant to operate the Public Market House as a food-hall-style incubator. The 8,064-sq-ft two-floor space comes with a basement commercial kitchen and already houses Jamaican restaurant Yardie Ting and Bub’s Home Kitchen; the remainder is built out with food-service infrastructure and is listed at $12/sq-ft (NNN). Downtown also features large-format opportunities such as 540 Congress St — the 25,800-sq-ft former Reny’s building, offered for lease at $7.50/sq-ft (NNN) — and 327 Commercial St, the 6,981–7,981-sq-ft space currently occupied by Tiqa, available to lease at $30/sq-ft (NNN) or to buy for $3.25 million.
Smaller but well-equipped restaurant spaces are circulating, too. The 5,352-sq-ft restaurant at 11 Brown St, currently home to Tokyo Sushi Ramen, is on the market for $725,000 and includes a fully equipped kitchen. A turnkey opportunity at 114 Preble St (the former Coals building) offers 4,424 sq ft with onsite parking and outdoor seating at $26/sq-ft (NNN). In contrast, a compact, newly built restaurant shell at 425 Fore St — a 1,548-sq-ft unit that was built for a restaurant but never opened — lists at $70/sq-ft (MG), reflecting the premium Old Port rents for central walkable locations.
Neighborhood and suburban options extend the range for operators on tighter budgets or seeking drive-up traffic. Outer Forest Ave has several listings, including the Riverton Station Pizza, Bar & Grill property at 1569 Forest Ave on the market for $1.7 million, and a vacant former Tortilla Flats at 1871 Forest Ave: an 8,771-sq-ft building on 3.43 acres listed for $1.75 million. South Portland offers a mix as well, from a 6,006-sq-ft former Taco Trio site at 60 Ocean St listed at $9.99/sq-ft (NNN) to a 6,250-sq-ft ex-Chili’s at 465 Maine Mall Rd asking $35/sq-ft.
The statewide roundup includes longstanding local institutions and planned new developments. The Fat Boy Drive-In in Brunswick is being offered for $775,000, while Bandaloop in Arundel is reportedly up for sale after two decades. New construction will also produce spaces: a mixed-use project on the Androscoggin River in Auburn will create a 4,776-sq-ft unit the owners hope to lease to a brewery or restaurant at $18.50/sq-ft (NNN), with additional smaller units available when complete.
The list underscores a market with a wide spectrum of price points and footprints. Prospective tenants should note lease-type shorthand: NNN (triple net) means tenants pay operating expenses in addition to base rent; MG (modified gross) often bundles many operating costs into the stated rate; gross leases include most expenses. For operators planning a launch or expansion, the April compilation offers both downtown visibility and suburban scale — and signals particular momentum around incubator-style food halls and large, formerly retail-anchored spaces that can be repurposed for hospitality.